Karma Sutra - The Daydreams of a Production Line Worker LP

Between Chomsky’s unfortunate association with Epstein, Vincent Bevins’ damning critique of horizontalism, and even Murray Bookchin’s examination of the contradictions of “lifestyle anarchism,” it’s difficult to get behind the kind of radical libertarianism and idealism that typifies anarchism as a serious political philosophy or praxis.

Nonetheless, we shouldn’t let the cynicism of the post-Occupy era blind us to one of the most vibrant melting pots of creativity to fall under the banner of punk. While much of what followed the initial punk explosion was typified by a strange sense of formalism, conservatism, and conformity of both genre and aesthetics, the UK anarcho-punk scene spawned by Crass embodied a spirit of liberatory, genre-defying creativity that matched its politics.

Karma Sutra are an oddity even within this creative melting pot. While they would likely appeal to anyone with a passing interest in the Crass Records catalogue, they’re a difficult band to find accurate comparisons for. I found myself reminded of Penis Envy-era Crass, The Mob, and even neofolk edgelords Death In June (or, less problematically, Australia’s Lakes). However, when I first spun ‘The Daydreams of a Production Line Worker’ in the shop, I joked that they sounded like Chumbawamba without a sense of humour, and I think this joke does more to describe their sound than any other.

Like the early recordings of Chumbawamba, Karma Sutra forge a sound that defies genre convention while also sounding like they could only have been born from the UK anarcho scene. Their music occupies a space that mixes punk with a mutant strain of folk and new age–inflected post-punk, complete with unexpected (but welcome) touches of flute. Their politically charged lyrics are delivered with an earnestness and sincerity that makes me believe they lived by their ideals, and would’ve been avoided like the plague at parties. Nonetheless, the creativity and sincerity of Karma Sutra embody much of what I think is lacking in modern punk. —Oli